Toilet fitting



March 24, 1970 H. MAISCH TOILET FITTING Filed Nov. 20, 1967 HANS MAISCH.

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United States Patent 3,501,784 TOILET FITTING Hans Maisch, Rotenfels, Germany, assignor to Eisenwerke Gaggenau G.m.b.H., Gaggenau, Germany, a company of Germany Filed Nov. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 684,336 Claims priority, application Germany, Nov. 18, 1966, E 32,866 Int. Cl. A47k 13/30 U.S. Cl. 4217 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toilet fitting comprising a hollow seat adapted to rest on the upper edge of a toilet bowl having openings equidistantly arranged around the inner edge. The seat is formed with a hollow rear extension accommodating an air extractor and a filter element. An extraction duct having a branch in each half of the seat communicates with the hollow extension, the two branches operating aerodynamically in parallel.

The invention relates to a toilet fitting comprising a hollow seat adapted to rest on the upper edge of a toilet bowl and containing openings for the extraction therethrough of air by an air extractor.

For ventilating toilet bowls diverse types of extraction devices have already been proposed, but these necessitate expensive forms of toilet fittings or involve considerable installational work and they also adversely interfere with accessibility for cleaning. It has been proposed to draw out air from the bowl through openings in the edge of a hollow seat by means of an extractor and to exhaust the extracted air into the waste pipe of the toilet or to the outside. Another known method of ventilating toilets consists in extracting air from one side of the bowl by an extractor which may be driven by a flush of water and which returns the extracted air into the ambient atmosphere through a filter.

Another ventilating arrangement has been proposed which first generates a current of flushing air flowing from the forward end of the seat towards the region of the hinge, whence the air is extracted by a fan together with air entrained from inside the toilet pan. The general arrangement of these known devices is aerodynamically not very efiicient and for achieving a satisfactory extracting effect the performance of the extractor must be fairly high.

The object of the present invention is to propose an aerodynamically eflicient form of construction of the junction between the seat and the rearward extension, to provide a simple and attractive overall shape and at the same time to achieve a satisfactory extraction effect with the aid of an extractor of relatively low performance. It is also the object of the invention to provide a toilet fitting that can be readily substituted for existing seat fittings. is also the object of the invention to provide a toilet fitting for the purpose of cleaning should not be impaired. Substantially the invention consists in that the air extractor together with a filter element is located in a hollow rear extension of the seat and that the suction side of said air extractor is connected to an extraction duct provided with a plurality of intake openings equidistantly distributed around the inner edge of the seat, the duct consisting of a branch in each half of the seat in such manner that aerodynamically the two branches work in parallel. This arrangement provides an eflicient flow path for the air inside the seat with a minimum of aerodynamic drag, thereby permitting an even extraction of air with the aid of a relatively low performance extractor.

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The air outlet from the rear extension may conveniently be arranged to discharge into the ambient atmosphere. Alternatively, the air outlet may discharge through an exhaust pipe, possibly comprising flexible portions.

In order to facilitate replacement, it may be advisable to provide a filter element in the form of a throw-away filter pack containing active charcoal components. Moreover, the filter pack may with advantage also contain foamed plastics as a filter material.

A further advantage may be secured by providing, in the region of the air outlet, openings for the introduction of additives into the air. These admissions, for instance in the form of nozzles which are connected with associated storage containers preferably likewise accommodated in the extension of the toilet seat, mix aroma substances and/or deodorants into the exhaust air. Instead of such admission nozzles other mixing devices could be provided in appropriate holders in the extension, for instance for subliming crystalline substances.

A hollow extension of the seat having a particularly useful shape would have a cross sectional contour composed of relatively perpendicular asymmetrical straight lines and an arched connecting line having a curvature conforming with part of the circumference of a built-in extractor fan and/ or motor. Moreover, the filter element may preferably be located on the pressure side of the fan inside the hollow extension.

The toilet seat including its rearward extension and hinge for a cover may in conventional manner consist of an integral synthetic plastics moulding.

The drawing schematically illustrates two embodiments of the invention. In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional elevation of a toilet seat according to the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the seat of FIGURE 1, showing its internal construction, and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view in plan of part of the toilet seat showing the provision of a flexible discharge pipe.

For the purpose of illustrating the features of the invention the drawing shows a toilet bowl 1 formed with an upper edge 2 supporting a hollow seat 3. This seat has a rear extension 4 to .which a cover 5 is hingeably attached. The seat is secured by conventional fastening means, not shown in the drawing. The hollow seat 3 has a segmental circular cross section which projects beyond the inside of the upper edge of the bowl 1. In this projecting region the seat is provided with intake openings 6 equidistantly distributed around the inside periphery of the seat 3 and communicating with an extraction channel 7 inside the seat. This extraction channel 7 communicates with an extractor chamber 9 through an opening 8 in the rear extension 4. The chamber contains an extractor fan 10 and, on the pressure side of the fan, a replaceable filter pack or element 11 containing activated charcoal. The air behind the filter pack is discharged into the ambient atmosphere through an air exit in the form of a stub pipe 12.

It will be understood from FIGURE 2 that the two halves of the seat functionally operate in parallel to convey the extracted air to the opening 8. This desirably reduces the aerodynamic drag so that an extractor fan of very low power is quite sutficient.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 3, the air exit is through a flexible pipe 13 which may discharge into a ventilating stack or to the outside through an opening in a wall. The internal construction of the seat may be as described. Generally the seat may be so constructed that it can be used for directly returning the air into the ambient atmosphere or for discharging it through ventilating ducts to the outside.

I claim:

1. A unitary toilet fitting comprising a generally oval, ring shaped hollow toilet seat having a conventional relatively large first central opening attachable above and overlying the upper edge of a lavatory bowl and having a hollow rear extension at the hinge support end, a fan and a substantially coaxial filter element located in said hollow extension in substantialy the same horizontal plane as said seat and directly behind said first opening, with their common axis substantially normal to the longitudinal axis, of said seat, said hollow seat having a plurality of intake openings equidistantly distributed around the inner edge of said seat, two aerodynamic extraction duct branches in said hollow seat enclosing said first opening, each of said branches being connected with the suction side of said fan so that said branches operate aerodynamically in parallel, said hollow extension having a second opening through which air sucked from said duct branches by said fan is discharged after passing through said filter element, and said filter element being located in said hollow extension on the pressure side of said fan.

2. A toilet fitting according to claim 1, in which said filter element is a throw-away filter pack.

3. A toilet fitting according to claim 2, in which said filter pack contains activated charcoal.

4. A toilet fitting according to claim 2, in which said filter pack includes a foamed plastic as a filtering medium.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,774,156 8/1930 Root 4-213 1,798,457 3/1931 Cole 4-213 2,017,590 10/1935 Dufiner 4-2l3 2,119,529 6/1938 Dick 4-213 2,846,696 8/1958 Herriott 4-213 2,849,727 9/1958 Bollinger et al. 4-217 3,230,551 1/1966 Kopp 4-213 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,347,873 11/1963 France.

445,105 2/1949 Italy.

647,230 10/1962 Italy.

208,157 1/1940 Switzerland.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner DONALD D. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner 

